Looking For A Very Robust Pen

[SoulSamurai]

I suggest either a Kaweco Sport (in regular plastic or the new metal ones) or a Rotring 600. I do not know how much a Rotring costs these days; the Levenger L-Tech is basically its replacement.

 

 

I think 600s start at around $250. I like my 600, but I get the feeling that the snap cap is not really all that sturdy. The screw cap on my L-Tech feels more robust. The L-Tech is a larger and heavier pen; too heavy for me, but that's just me.

[Honeybadgers]

Delike alpha. I've broken a car window with it and literally thrown it across the room to prove a point about durability. $12.

Edited October 7, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[KaB]

After further thought may I suggest a Koloro ? Large capacity (eye dropper), and shut off valve like the Vac 700. Far sturdier, with nice lines. Takes a screw in #5. Jowo housing.so nibs are readily available. Four colours. The larger demontrator takes a #6

 

 

Apart from sturdiness, what a beauties! I love the teal version, it directly made my wishlist!

[Karmachanic]

 

 

Apart from sturdiness, what a beauties! I love the teal version, it directly made my wishlist!

 

 

Tsuki-yo will be happy too!

[sidthecat]

I have a prewar Reform with an old Bock nib: the kind with the cap that covers most of the barrel. It was the only pen I took with me on a week-long trip to the urban jungle of New York. They built those old beauties to last.

[Cdaig35]

I know that you want a flat topped pen, but I thought I needed to show this option some love because it is severely underrated. I have two sets of pens. My nice pens for home, and my "less nice" pens that I take to school. I am similar to you in that my pens are always in some sort of case. Anyways, I have a metal shaeffer prelude that is metal. the pen is a sort of brushed silver metal with gold accents and a two tone steel nib. It is actually a great writer, and it was my every day carry for years. I would greatly recommend it.

 

However if you can swing it, the Aurora Duocart has been an even better replacement for me. It is super reliable, lightweight, and has flat tops like you want. It is not durable like a Karas Kustoms, but it does not sound like that is the level of durability you are necessarily looking for. I hope you find what you're looking for!

[jcoersen]

Hello,

 

I always have a Kaweco Liliput (aluminium) in my pocket, also a Kaweco Liliput Copper in my bag.

These are very durable and i have never had a problem with these.

 

A few weeks now i also have a Lamy Aion (all aluminium pen) in my jacket pocket.

I had problems with this one with the converter leaking while filling the pen, but with a cartridge it work fine.

 

I used to have a Lamy Studio in my jacket pocket but the Aion i can have in my pocket without the leather protection pouch i used for my Lamy studio.

(the standard Aion nib is good, but i did replace the standard Aion nib for a gold nib from the Studio for more writing comfort)

 

As a bulletproof pen i can recomend the Kaweco Liliput. (i you don't write for a long period with it and use it just for taking notes)

With the Lamy Aion i can write for longer without any problem. (it much bigger than the Liliput)

 

 

These pens should be around $50,-

 

Outside your price range is the Lamy 2000, but this is also a very good and durable pen.

[mitto]

Parker 51 aermetric or a Lamy 2k.

[Karmachanic]

Parker 51 aermetric or a Lamy 2k.

Please tell me where to buy a sub €100 Lamy 2K. Quickly before they all disappear

[Calabria]

A lot of pens look durable but aren't - my Kaweco leaks in planes, the Aion has a rattling cap...

I think the Pelikan M200 range is one of the most durable pens, I've had some of them for 30 years. And if you drop them on the nib, replacements are easy and cheap. You can find them for just under 100$ in some places.

[wspohn]

You've had advice on the Parker 51 Flighter a couple of times. The ones made in 1949 are still going strong and they are as close to an indestructible pen as you are going to get. Look no further.

[A Smug Dill]

Now I'm looking for a solidly built pen that's not too expensive (less than €100). A pen that I can toss around, that only gets nicer when taking a beating.

 

I don't know of any pen that would 'get nicer', in appearance or otherwise, with excessive wear and tear, or subjected to undue physical impact or abuse, no matter how 'robust' or solidly built.

 

However, I have three Rotring Initial fountain pens, and they are certainly solidly built; I'd almost challenge you to break it as long as it stays capped. (Obviously you could destroy its steel Medium nib and/or the plastic section if you drop the exposed nib, tip-first, onto the ground from a height.) I've had the first of those since 2002, and I loved it for the shape, heft, and the fact that it is built like a tank but writes delicately like a Japanese Medium.

 

I think I got that one for €90 as a gift set with fountain pen, matching ballpoint pen, and a leather double pen case in Amsterdam. The other two I bought (on their own) were quite a bit cheaper than that.

 

...

 

I just went and retrieved all three, which have been sitting in the bottom tray of my pen display case (inked but) unusued for at least the last three months, because I have been to 'busy' with my Japanese pens lately. Each one wrote immediately upon being uncapped.

 

My only disappointment with any of them is that the nib widths don't appear to be consistent across the pens, even though they all have M nibs.

Edited October 9, 2018 by A Smug Dill

[Honeybadgers]

 

I don't know of any pen that would 'get nicer', in appearance or otherwise, with excessive wear and tear, or subjected to undue physical impact or abuse, no matter how 'robust' or solidly built.

 

 

Beg to differ. Brass and copper will patina in a beautiful way. my delike alpha gets prettier every week since I sanded the lacquer off.

[displacermoose]

I have 4 Kaweco sports (3 plastic one aluminum). They are stout little suckers. A couple of the nibs did require adjusting, but since I got them set up they’ve been great. Kaweco does offer factory stubs, but I was never happy with mine and just ended up grinding one out of a medium. Replacement nibs are easy to find and reasonably priced should you ever need one.

[A Smug Dill]

Beg to differ. Brass and copper will patina in a beautiful way.

The relevance of that statement is unclear to me. Does bronze and copper develop a patina from:

• a beating;
• excessive wear and tear; and/or
• undue physical impact or abuse ?

my delike alpha gets prettier every week since I sanded the lacquer off.

OK, so are you saying that the sanding constitutes deliberate "abuse" which made the pen "nicer", before any/repeated polishing by human skin through usage week after week?

 

I have a Delike Alpha with a brass barrel and cap – courtesy of an Amazon marketplace seller who sold me a Duke pen with a fude nib that doesn't write consistently when in upside-down orientation, in spite of what the item listing stated – and I don't detect any lacquer on the surface of the metal finish.

[mitto]

Please tell me where to buy a sub 100 Lamy 2K. Quickly before they all disappear

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lamy-2000-Fountain-Pen-Made-in-West-Germany-1980s-/263981517303

 

Or you may add a few bucks and get this one.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LAMY-2000-FOUNTAIN-PEN-MAKROLON-14K-FINE-NIB-NEW-IN-BOX-L01F/362426599252?hash=item54624f0754:g:nroAAOSwx4Ramgfu

Edited October 9, 2018 by mitto

[A Smug Dill]

Please tell me where to buy a sub €100 Lamy 2K.

 

 

Not exactly sub-€100, but I (as just another Joe Consumer, enjoying no special relationship with the retailer in question) can get a new Lamy 2000 from Bureau Direct in the UK delivered to Australia for ~€134, in case anybody else here is interested. Not really my kind of pen on which to spend >A$200.

[Karmachanic]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lamy-2000-Fountain-Pen-Made-in-West-Germany-1980s-/263981517303

 

Or you may add a few bucks and get this one.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LAMY-2000-FOUNTAIN-PEN-MAKROLON-14K-FINE-NIB-NEW-IN-BOX-L01F/362426599252?hash=item54624f0754:g:nroAAOSwx4Ramgfu

 

Thank you! 1st one - cracked cap. 2nd - including shipping aaround 35% over, but still a good price.

[mitto]

...and you get a good user grade P51 for around $80-$100.

[Mech-for-i]

The relevance of that statement is unclear to me. Does bronze and copper develop a patina from:

• a beating;
• excessive wear and tear; and/or
• undue physical impact or abuse ?

OK, so are you saying that the sanding constitutes deliberate "abuse" which made the pen "nicer", before any/repeated polishing by human skin through usage week after week?

 

I have a Delike Alpha with a brass barrel and cap – courtesy of an Amazon marketplace seller who sold me a Duke pen with a fude nib that doesn't write consistently when in upside-down orientation, in spite of what the item listing stated – and I don't detect any lacquer on the surface of the metal finish.

 

Actually Chinese Calligraphy nib is not the same as Fude nib and both of them are not designed for reverse writing, in fact the Mfr almost always advice against it .